Boil-water advisory issued for four South Slave communities

Hay River, Kátł’odeeche First Nation, Enterprise, and Kakisa were placed under a boil-water advisory on Thursday afternoon.

The territory’s chief environmental health officer is advising people in the four South Slave communities to boil drinking water for at least one minute.

People are also advised to not drink water from drinking fountains. Water used for showers and hand-washing does not need to be boiled.

More: NWT government boil-water advisory FAQs

“This advisory is precautionary due to flooding in Hay River. Power outages and other operational issues may prevent drinking water from being disinfected prior to distribution,” a news release from the NWT’s Department of Health and Social Services stated.

The department said it would be working with the Town of Hay River to monitor the situation and will notify people when the advisory is lifted.

Boil-water advisories are frequently issued for Hay River and surrounding communities when the spring melt muddies the water.

In 2020, Hay River spent more than 100 days under a boil-water advisory. In 2021, a boil-water advisory ran from May 16 until June 2.